What medication actually works for anxiety?

[Wenchelda]

I've posted a couple of times in the past about my anxiety - I may even have asked this exact question but in my current state of fear, I can't think how to look for my previous threads so hope it's ok to post again.

I have suffered anxiety for over 4 years, mainly centred around my health and, in particular, a huge fear of cancer. I've had over 12 months of CBT, which helped at the time and I've mostly been able to keep on top of it but recently feel like I've been struggling again.

Twice during major anxiety attacks, my GP has prescribed me diazepam but I've been too scared to take it and never collected the prescriptions. (Not quite sure why I feel scared to take them. If I was prescribed medication for a physical illness, I would more than likely have it without question but this feels different somehow)

Anyway I don't want to keep having these horrible attacks and suffer the overwhelming fear for days at a time. I'm sure I've read about people taking low levels of something just to keep on top of it and prevent the anxiety taking over. I think I might ask my gp for something but would like to go prepared with a bit of knowledge about what options there are and what might be best.

So that's my very long winded way of asking if anyone takes anything for anxiety and if you would recommend it.

Trying to distract myself from my current panic by focusing on this instead. Sorry it's so long. Thanks for reading if you got this far.

I find a combination of Escitalopram, which is an anti depressant, to control my moods and clonazepam, which is a benzo diazepene, helps with my anxiety. The clonazepam is taken for an acute anxiety attack to soften the worst of the panic symptoms.

I also have talking therapy with EMDR, not CBT. CBT didn't work for me.

Propanalol worsened my asthma.

For those mentioning having anti depressants ... have you got these prescribed just for anxiety or for depression as well? I really do not think I am depressed at all; it's just anxiety I am struggling with. So it seems a strange idea to me to take anti depressants when not depressed (however I have absolutely zero knowledge or experience of ADs so this may be a completely inaccurate assumption)

I've just started 10mg citalopram for anxiety. I don't have depression (DH does and takes 20mg)

I used to think that too but antidepressants are for the treatment of anxiety and depression. I was never depressed so was confused by this at first.

I was offered Pregabalin just over a year ago but was too afraid to start taking it because it can be very difficult to come off of. They are reluctant to prescribe it because of the bad press it has had and it's usually a psychiatrist who prescribes it.
That being said, it is known to have some very good results with anxiety.

I am currently on 15mg Mirtazapine for PTSD/Reactive depression (featuring anxiety) but I know people have have had citalopram and sertraline for anxiety that has worked well.

Sertraline here for anxiety. I can sleep and it takes the edge off so to speak (very low dose). You can ask your gp (once you get to see him or her!!!) for a mood tracker which may reveal a hormonal pattern. Have a read about Premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

@Paddyf0dder, no need to be so dismissive. CBD oil looks pretty promising as a treatment for anxiety and with few side effects.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/

@BadAsMe

Interesting link, thanks.

It has potential, certainly. But it’s currently not got the evidence base necessary to justify recommending it. So I stand by my statement. But I look forward to being proven wrong if the evidence comes in.

I have taking cbd oil since April and it has worked wonders.

At the risk of sounding like a snake oil peddler, I started taking CBD oil a couple of months ago for chronic pain and fatigue which have plagued me for the past ten or so years. Pain relief was almost immediate, fatigue started lifting soon after. I'm still constantly fatigued but much more functional.

As an added benefit my anxiety, which I hadn't considered when I started taking it but which had been spiralling out of control, is improved immeasurably.

Good!

Might be placebo though. That’s why it needs proper clinical trials.

For those taking CBD, are you also taking an antidepressant?

Cbd certainlyvisn’t Placebo . I notice a different affect with different oils. Some have not helped much, others been really effective. Different oils work better for different people. It is a plant each with different terpenes and different profile dependent on the strain. There are very good Facebook groups you can join to get further advise and ideas.

I'm not on anti depressants but I know people do successfully use them with CBD oil. If you've got specific questions, the Simply CBD User Support group on Facebook is very good. m.facebook.com/groups/579702845753894

That’s never going to happen paddynot in big pharma’s interest.

I take Citalopram for generalised anxiety disorder & panic attacks. Currently I'm on 30mg; my dose has varied from 10-50 over the last 10+ years. It has helped me immensely, to the point I'd say it has been a 'miracle' that I can feel so different in it than off. I know other people for whom it works very well too. However, people do respond in different ways & I've seen people on here who don't tolerate it at all so I don't there's there's a guarantee that any single drug will help you. Also, the side effects can be quite unpleasant so to find out if it's going to work you may need to tolerate a reasonably long period of initial discomfort which can be challenging to say the least. I'd recommend discussing options with a GP that you trust and taking it from there.

Ps. I'm sending huge amounts of sympathy your way as I suffered from very similar symptoms to you and I know it really is one of the most unbearable feelings that has a dreadful impact on your quality of life

Hello, I am 36 and have suffered anxiety, panic and ocd for most of my life. Have tried most meds and various therapies over the years including CBT, hypno, EMDR etc. The past couple of years I've got my life back and managed to find some actual peace physically and mentally for the first time. I know everybody is different so not suggesting it would work for everyone but over a years psychotherapy with a therapist who really got it, a mindfulness course and regular, mindfulness practice (I do at least half an hour a day and regular retreats) and making significant changes in my diet and lifestyle to simplify and reduce additional external stress which exacerbated it, including ditching old career and retraining in low paid but low stress job have helped. This has all been private as found little help in the NHS. It's not been at all cheap and I acknowledge that I am privileged to have good support from husband to accomodate these treatments. I had reached a point of breakdown so I had to throw everything at it.
I wish you all the best op, anxiety is a dreadful, unbearable thing but it is treatable and there is hope.

In response to your question about prescriptions, I understand that ADs are very commonly used to treat anxiety and are therefore incorrectly named! There is also an argument that depression and anxiety are simply 2 sides of the same coin, which might explain why ADs can work for both.

Thank you for the further responses. I've felt less panicky today (after a terrible start to the day when I woke up crying and feeling terrified). I found some short "emergency" meditations on youtube which helped calm me down. I have spent almost the entire day lying on the sofa, sleeping and watching tv. This is so unlike me. I never just do nothing. But I've feel so completely drained and exhausted. My whole body is aching and tense.

I've done mindfulness before and it did help but I've really got out of the habit so that's something I should get back to.

I've ordered the 2 books that someone mentioned up thread about diet and mental health - they should arrive by Friday so I'm going to make some changes there too.

I'm still wary of asking my gp about medication. But as my appointment isn't until Xmas eve, I guess I've got a little while to consider it further and decide what I want to ask her.

Thank you everyone x

Sertraline- it's a game changer!

Do ask about medication, SSRI's are not addictive and can really help to stabilise your anxiety so that talking therapy can work. If you had a Vitamin D deficiency or a heart problem would you be having this debate about taking the medication?

Wenchelda, also have a listen to this. This podcast and others on the website have been really reassuring for me along the way.

alittlepeaceofmind.co.uk/podcast/episode-68-how-to-deal-with-the-physical-symptoms-with-john-el-mokadem/

@SandraTheBee

Nope, still might be placebo. We can’t rely on “it worked for me” as evidence.

Also, spare the big pharmaceutical conspiracy theory. Drug companies could make an absolute fortune by studying and altering CBD and then patenting the derivatives. CBD, like an psychoactive, is a potential goldmine. The research will come.

Pregabalin is good for anxiety.